SasuHina Month 2017
by xHinaLovex
Summary: As requested, here is some SasuHina from yours truly. A little of whatever comes to me for this couple. I hope you guys enjoy!
1. Trampoline

So I've never done SasuHina month before. I participated in NaruHina month a couple of times, but this year it was shortened to a week and I didn't love the prompts so this will be my first go of this kind of thing in a year and a half. I've had a lot of people ask that I do a SasuHina story and while I don't want to take on another chapter story until I get two of the three I'm currently working on completed, I thought I could give this a shot.

I don't really have a plan for the month and can pretty much guarantee I won't be doing all the prompts, but the people who have continued to read and review and leave me messages and kind words have really made my life so happy lately that I'd like to do what I can for you guys. So I'll do what I can, depending on what thought strikes me as I read the prompt. The stories will vary in length and there will be little to no editing (I might go back in at a later date and fix any mistakes or if you see something please feel free to point it out in the review section and I'll make the correction).

And here we go!

* * *

 **Day 1: Trampoline**

 _Up._

 _Down._

 _Up._

Oh, god.

 _Down._

Sasuke lay on deck chair on his back porch, attempting to read beneath the summer sun. _Attempting_ being the key word. It was hard to concentrate when Hinata and Hanabi Hyuga were jumping and laughing on his family's new trampoline just a few yards away. Well, it wasn't Hanabi who was distracting so much as Hinata. And it wasn't the laughter so much as the elder sister's rather large, erm, _assets_ that moved generously with each new bounce.

Now, Sasuke wasn't a pervert. He really was trying to read and not stare at his neighbor and classmate as she enjoyed herself on the trampoline. But it was so damn hard _not_ to look when her t-shirt was tight enough to provide a rather graphic view on each jump up and loose enough to reveal a glimpse of a flat, pale stomach underneath when coming down.

Fuck.

Sasuke stared hard at the page his book had been open to for the last twenty minutes. Should he turn the page to at least make it look like he was reading? Would she suspect something if he didn't? Or would she even notice? He didn't think she'd peg him for a voyeur, but then again, she was usually pretty shy about her figure so she could be on high alert.

It's not like any of this was on purpose, Sasuke thought despairingly. He'd been out here reading before the sisters had shown up at his front door asking if they could try out the new addition to the Uchiha's back yard. Hell, the trampoline hadn't been his idea in the first place either. His parents had gotten it for his little cousins to help entertain them during one of their many Uchiha family gatherings. He was sure they didn't have anything so… obscene in mind when they had made the purchase.

He groaned. Why did Hinata have to jump anyway? He could see why she'd come over with her little sister, but it's not like she needed to join in. She could just supervise until the twelve year old wore herself out or got hungry. It's not like he'd told her to jump. So why did he feel like the guilty one here?

Oh yeah, because he had been staring at Hinata Hyuga's bouncing breasts for the better part of a half hour and despite his intentions, it didn't seem like he would stop. In fact, even once she was done jumping he was pretty sure the images would be burned in his mind forever as if by the summer sun itself.

"Oooooi, Bastard!"

Sasuke heard the loud voice of his friend and his eyes widened a bit in a panic. What would Naruto do when he saw what was going on? Before he could begin to think of a way to distract the blond long enough to get him back inside, the Uzumaki was next to him grinning.

"What's up! You know there are better ways to spend your summer than reading, right?"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "You mean making yourself sick on junk food and binging terrible television all night?"

Naruto stuck a tongue out at his friend. "I was thinking more like driving down to the beach and checking out the girls in their swimsuits. Or heading downtown and watching the girls walk by in their skimpy sundresses. Or checking out the fitness club to watch the - "

"Yeah I'm going to stop you right there. I get the feeling all your suggestions have a similar theme and I'm not interested."

The Uchiha prayed to everything that was good that Naruto wouldn't notice the 'show' happening in his own backyard.

"You asshole, you're no fun. Do you know how many girls will notice us in your fancy car? We won't even have to do anything! They'll come straight to us!"

"Why don't we go inside and play some video games or something, instead? Mom just made a grocery run so there's plenty of food - including a shit ton of instant ramen."

If anything would distract his friend it was ramen. Sure enough, Sasuke noted with relief, the blond threw his fist in the air in excitement.

"Aw, man, your mom is the best! She totally loves me."

"Whatever you say," Sasuke deadpanned, "Let's just get inside."

Unfortunately Sasuke's luck ran out because at that moment the Hyuga sisters let out a particularly loud series of giggles. As he looked over it seemed to him that Hanabi had attempted some kind of acrobatics that had ended up knocking both sisters down. They weren't out of commision for long, though, and sure enough Hinata and her bosom were quickly bouncing again. It didn't take long for Naruto to notice.

"Woah," Naruto said, mouth agape.

"You should shut your mouth before something flies in," Sasuke said irritably.

"Dude, do you see what I see?"

"What, two girls jumping on a trampoline?"

Blue eyes stared transfixed in the direction of the Hyuga sisters and Sasuke pursed his lips, knowing exactly what had his friend staring so intently.

"They are not the only ones doing some jumping, if you know what I mean."

"That was remarkably stupid, even for you."

"Hey! Don't be such an asshole, I'm trying to show you the most glorious thing I've seen all week! Look!"

"I know, okay? I know," the Uchiha hissed.

"Woah, you do?"

Naruto looked genuinely surprised and it annoyed him.

"Of course I do. I have eyes, don't I?"

Naruto looked at him for a moment before his eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"Oh my god, you're not gay!"

"Don't yell shit like that so loud!" Sasuke scolded, peeking furtively over to the trampoline to see if Naruto's voice had carried. Luckily they still seemed fully engaged in what they were doing.

"And what the fuck do you mean I'm not gay?"

"Dude, Kiba owes me fifty bucks," Naruto said.

"What the hell?"

"I mean I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure it was a bet I was going to win. Don't get me wrong, I was totally okay with you being gay, but even though you seem to hate girls I didn't think you were into guys either. I figured if anything you were asexual. But damn."

Sasuke pinched his brow, wondering not for the first time why he cared about the blond. Couldn't he have a different, not so crazy best friend? Was that too much to ask?

"Anyway, we need to call them."

"What?" Sasuke asked, not having heard the last minute or so of Naruto's talking.

"I said we need to call the guys up and tell them to get over here quick. They have to see this!"

"No," he responded. It came out harsher than he meant it to.

"Come on, man! We can't let them miss this. It's straight out of one of Jiraiya's books!"

"You mean your godfather's smutty books your mother banned from the house? The books you have hidden in a box in the back of your closet? The books your mom might find if someone was to call her and ask her to look for something back there? Those books?" His tone conveyed a warning.

"That's not fair," Naruto whined, "I just want to share the wealth!"

"No," Sasuke stated again.

"Why not? It's not like - " the Uzumaki stopped talking and his mouth formed an "o".

"Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod," Naruto said, bouncing on the balls of his feet like a kid who was just told to go wild in a candy store.

"Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!"

"What now?" Sasuke said with an exasperated sigh.

"You _like_ her!" Naruto said, grinning.

"No."

"You do! You like her!" he insisted, looking like he was ready to burst with excitement.

"I mean I can see why you'd be interested. She's seriously hot. I mean, who knew she had all that under those cardigans she's always wearing?"

"That's not -" Sasuke caught himself before he could say anything more damning. "Don't you ever think about anything else?" he amended.

Naruto shrugged. "Dude, we're seventeen. You're allowed to like boobs. You're also allowed to like girls. And she's pretty cool. She made an extra bento to give to me for like a month straight last year."

Sasuke's eye twitched at the reminder of Hinata's past crush on his oblivious best friend.

"Seriously, they were delicious and then there's the fact that she's smart. I think I've seen her in the library so maybe she likes books, too? I bet you guys have stuff in common. And she lives right next to you so it'd be easy to sneak out if you know what I mean." The blond wiggled his eyebrows and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Naruto, let's just go inside. Didn't you want that ramen?" Sasuke tried distracting his friend again. It seemed as if he was cursed, however, as Hinata chose that moment to come over to them.

"Hello!" she greeted them, her cheeks rosy with exertion and her long hair falling loosely around her face and shoulders.

Sasuke could feel his cheeks heating slightly and cursed under his breath at Naruto's knowing grin.

"Why hello! Fancy seeing you here!" Naruto said, not at all as smoothly as Sasuke knew he thought he was being.

"Do you come here often?" The blonde accented his silly question with a wink, earning a giggle from Hinata and a glare from his friend.

"Sasuke's family was nice enough to let me and my sister come enjoy their trampoline. Hanabi saw it being delivered the other day and hadn't stopped talking about it."

"You don't have one?" Naruto asked.

"No," Hinata said, twisting a lock of hair between her fingers. "My father always said they weren't befitting of a family like ours. But a twelve year old is a twelve year old so I really appreciate Sasuke letting us out here."

She turned to look at him. "Really, it means a lot to me."

Her lavender eyes were wide and earnest and Sasuke had to look away after a moment, overwhelmed by the sincere thanks.

"It's no big deal," he said. Then he hastily added, "You're welcome here anytime."

Hinata smiled, raising clasped hands to her chest in a sign of gratitude.

"Thank you!"

They looked at each other for a few long moments until Hanabi came over and stood beside her sister.

"You ready?" she asked Hinata.

"Mhm," Hinata nodded, "But you should say thank you before we go," Hinata said.

"Didn't you just do that?" Hanabi quipped, earning herself a stern look from her older sister.

"You guys leaving already?" Naruto asked. Sasuke tried not to show his annoyance at his friend's genuine disappointment. He was quite relieved the blond wouldn't be able to ogle any longer.

"Yes, Hanabi has a couple of friends coming over in a little while so I thought it was about time to let you have your back yard back."

"Oh, what will you be doing while her friends are there?" Naruto asked, making Hinata blush a bit at the inquiry.

"I'll probably just read," she said.

"Oh really? You know Sasuke was just saying he wanted to go see that new movie, but I actually had something I needed to take care of. If you don't have any plans you should go with him so he doesn't have to go alone."

If looks could kill Naruto would be dead ten times over.

"Oh! Um, I hadn't really heard about it, but that might be okay," she said shyly.

"You don't have to," Sasuke piped up. "Really, it's not a big deal."

"If you don't want to then - "

"That's not it. I just don't want you to force yourself to do something you didn't want to do. If you just want to stay home and read you can do that."

"I, um, I don't exactly mind it. I don't really keep up with what movies are coming out, but if you're interested in it I'm sure it'll be good. And going to the movies is always fun."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto who looked entirely too self congratulatory to be healthy. He'd have to smack him later for this.

"I'm not sure when the showings are. Do you still have my number from that project last year? I can text you and you can meet me back here. I'll drive."

Hinata bit her lip and nodded. Hanabi rolled her eyes and pulled on her sister's shirt. "Great, it's a date," she said, causing both Hinata and Sasuke to inhale sharply. "Now come on. Konohamaru is going to be here soon and you promised you'd make my hair look nice."

Her sister continued to talk and pull her inside and out the front door, not giving either party a chance to deny the "date". Hinata looked like a deer in headlights and while Sasuke kept cool on the outside, his heart was racing and his stomach was doing something incredibly uncomfortable.

Sasuke watched her go and turned to glare at Naruto who immediately put his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Hey, you should be thankful. I totally got you a date!"

"You're dead," was the only thing he said before he took off after the blond.

"You have to promise I'll be the best man at your wedding!" Naruto yelled, jumping over Sasuke's foot as he nearly managed to trip him.

"Seriously, you have a death wish."

"Come on, you don't want a black eye for your first date! You don't want her to think you're a deviant!"

Sasuke continued to chase his friend around the back yard.

"Or are you hoping she'll kiss it and make it - AH!" Naruto yelped as Sasuke tackled him to the ground. The two wrestled for a few minutes, but Sasuke knew he wouldn't be able to put up as much of a fight as he normally would. After all, he thought secretly as he trapped Naruto in a head lock, he had a date to get ready for.

* * *

There you have it! Again, I'm not sure how many I'll end up doing for the month, but we'll see how it goes! I'd like to do at least a few. Please let me know what you think!


	2. Stress

**EDIT 9/16/17:** I went through after posting this the first time and changed it a little bit based on some of the feedback. The trouble with short stories is that you aren't going to get absolutely everything that's happened during, before, and after, but I agreed that the development of Hinata's feelings seemed a little out of the blue considering what we knew so I tried to fix that a little bit as well as changing a little of how Sasuke was portrayed. I like this version better, I hope you do, too.

 **Author's Note:** Wow guys some people REALLY hate SasuHina! But the troll started commenting on my stories recently and honestly I'm pretty excited about it. Hi troll! I'm glad you stopped by! No worries, I'll give you plenty more things to comment on! Anyway, I hadn't planned to do anything for today, but I sat down to see if I could come up with a drabble or something and wrote another 2k words. So I hope you guys like it!

* * *

 **Day 2: Stress**

 _Canon verse, post-war (if The Last hadn't happened)_

Hinata could feel the electricity in the air before she was even close enough to hear his training. She was sure times like these were part of the reason his district stayed so deserted, but she also knew he preferred fewer visitors, anyway.

She activated her Byakugan for a moment to confirm his location, and she realized he must be especially stressed because that slight flare of chakra was enough for him to flicker next to her and hold his sword to her throat.

The Hyuga was thankful for the amount of control Sasuke held over each movement because any ninja with less control could have accidentally slit her throat.

"Sorry," he grunted, putting his sword in his sheath. He was shirtless and she could see sweat and dirt covering his torso.

"It's my fault for doing it when I knew you were training hard. I felt it when I walked in, but used it on habit."

He nodded curtly and turned towards the house, not bothering to invite her to follow as she knew that was his intention.

"Sorry for interrupting. I don't mind visiting later. Or I could spar with you. You don't have to stop on my account."

He'd made it clear before that she was welcome anytime, but his back was tense and she felt bad about coming at a time when he was clearly upset.

"It's fine. I've been out there a while anyway," he said nonchalantly as if he hadn't essentially leveled a portion of the forested area in the Uchiha district. She'd seen as much with her Byakugan.

They entered the front door and he slid it closed behind them.

"I'm going to go shower real quick. You're welcome to get something from the kitchen while you wait."

He thought it was a little ridiculous that he had to tell her that when she was here so often, but he knew she wouldn't make herself comfortable unless told to do so. Her clan was too old fashioned.

Hinata decided to make a pot of tea and place a sliced tomato and some cheese on a plate for when Sasuke was finished showering. If he'd been out there as long as she thought he had, he'd probably be hungry. She remarked to herself how strange it was that they were starting to have a routine like this one. It's certainly not something she'd ever have imagined, but it had happened so gradually she'd had neither the chance nor desire to stop it.

A few years after the war, Kakashi had announced that Naruto would be the next Hokage. No one doubted his strength, but due to his age the village elders had suggested a training period of two years to help him understand the politics, diplomacy, and bureaucracy that came with the position. He and Kakashi had readily agreed to the arrangement and thus began the Uzumaki's ascent to his lifelong dream.

However, this now put him out of commission for many of the more time intensive missions and while Konoha had many strong ninja, there were few in the world who were on par with Naruto's skill. Therefore they had decided to call Sasuke home to help.

When he had returned, people were still wary of him. It didn't help that he was just as, if not more so, wary of them due to his clan's past in the village. He hardly left his district and socialized with no one outside his old team. One day after reporting on a completed mission, Naruto had pulled Hinata aside and asked if she might try reaching out to him.

"I'm kinda worried about him, ya know?" he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. There was still some discomfort between the two of them due to his unspoken rejection of her confession. "You don't owe me anything, but you're the only person I can think of who might be able to get through to him. I don't think he could rile up Shikamaru too much, but that guy's so lazy if Sasuke told him to go away he'd just do it and not bother to try again. You're quiet so you won't annoy him, but you're tough."

She was a little nervous. She got quite enough glares and harsh words in her own home. Her father and most of her clan had accepted her, but the elders had grown even crueler to her after Neji's death - blaming her weakness for the death of their prodigy. But she was still in a place where she'd do anything Naruto asked of her and so she'd begun testing the waters, greeting him on the rare occasions she saw him out.

Eventually she began to drop by with food on the pretense she had made extra and Naruto had told her Sasuke didn't cook much. At first she'd just drop it off and be on her way, but after a while he had invited her to come in. Their first real conversation had been stilted and awkward, but cordial enough and he'd invited her back. From there, they'd begun to talk more and more and now there were no more pretenses. She was free to come and go from his district as she pleased. He would tell her when he was returning from a mission and she would let herself into his house to cook him a welcome home meal, knowing his nutrition on the journey back consisted almost entirely of ration bars and soldier pills. He would train with her and help her improve her fighting tactics. He'd also started a small garden next to his house. She helped him grow vegetables and he allowed her to plant some flowers she liked that the Hyugas were too uptight to have in their perfectly planned and manicured gardens.

It was a quiet friendship, but they had become quite close. In the last few months she'd noticed some of the telltale signs of feelings beginning to emerge.

Perhaps it was how he would occasionally eat out with her, despite how uncomfortable he felt in the village proper.

Perhaps it was that he'd started stocking some of the foods she preferred in his kitchen to have on hand in case she dropped by - sweets included.

Perhaps it was because he let her spend as much time in his home as she wanted, knowing her need to get away from the suffocating atmosphere of the Hyuga grounds.

Perhaps it was because after she'd mentioned getting easily cold one day, he'd left a blanket permanently draped on the part of the couch she'd essentially claimed as her own.

She couldn't pinpoint how exactly it had happened, but there was no denying the feelings were there.

Her skin would tingle when their hands touched. Her breath would become shaky when he had her pinned in a spar. Her stomach would flutter when he'd tell her to be safe on her mission.

It was a problem.

But she didn't intend to ruin their friendship by confessing to a guy who had women falling at his feet. So instead she continued to be his friend.

Sasuke came down the stairs in a shirt and sweatpants, hair still damp from the shower. She had the tea poured and the food sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch where she sat waiting. Her cheeks flushed just slightly when he gave her a small nod of thanks for the consideration.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, him eating the snack she prepared and her sipping her tea.

"How was your mission," he asked. She hummed and set her cup down, thinking.

"Nothing too interesting," she responded. "A few thieves tried to ambush me at one point, but they weren't even shinobi."

He nodded and picked up his own cup, taking a drink of the liquid and setting it back down.

"I wasn't here when you returned. How was your mission?"

She'd left while Sasuke was on a trip to Kumo acting as bodyguard to Kakashi and Naruto. Sakura and Sai had gone, as well, and although Hinata knew he was a little excited about going on a mission with his old team, she couldn't help but wonder if Sakura had finally begun to wear him down. Kumo was supposed to be a beautiful place and a lot of honeymoons took place there now that relations between the nations were more open and peaceful. She bit her tongue to keep herself from thinking too hard about it.

Sasuke's face darkened and her brows knitted together in worry. "Did something happen?"

"The asshole Raikage tried to throw me out of the village."

"What?!" she gasped. The Raikage was admittedly not a fan of Sasuke's due to his attempted kidnapping of Killer Bee, but he had agreed with the other Kages to pardon him after his help in the war. She didn't think he'd cause an international incident at this point by trying to ban one of the Hokage's bodyguards, but apparently she'd underestimated his dislike.

"He almost succeeded. He brought up the time I attacked the Kage summit and said he couldn't be sure I wasn't just using the mission as a cover to do the same for this one."

Hinata pursed her lips and looked at him to continue.

"Kakashi called me into the office today to tell me I couldn't accompany them to the next Kage meetings because he didn't want to cause an incident again."

"Oh," she said quietly, eyes widening slightly. She knew the Raikage's actions were frustrating, but Sasuke didn't care too much about his opinion. Kakashi, however, had always stuck up for Sasuke. He didn't say it out loud, but she knew he valued his old sensei's opinion and companionship. She new he must feel betrayed.

"Can you believe that? He's pandering to that ancient asshole. I can't change my past so what does he want from me? Is helping save the world not enough? I sure as hell am not going to grovel for his forgiveness."

He almost never spoke this much. His outburst was raw and passionate and she could feel the frustration rolling off of him.

Well now she knew why he'd gone on a training rampage.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Hinata said quietly, putting her hand on top of his as a sign of consolation. She knew how hard he had worked to redeem himself. He more than anyone knew all of the wrong he had done and although he didn't talk about it much, she knew how much it hurt him when people only saw the person he was and not the man he had become.

He surprised her by turning his hand over and grasping hers tightly. She sucked in a breath and sat in shocked silence, staring at their joined hands. Sasuke had never done something like this before.

"I know I'll never be worthy, but if shit like this keeps happening I won't ever get a chance," he said. Her shocked silence turned to one of confusion.

"I'm not good enough. I've done some terrible things. But I've tried to redeem myself. I've tried to become a better person. I don't want anyone to hold my past against you."

Her heart was beating frantically, but she tried to mentally talk herself into the idea that she was reading too much into things. He couldn't be saying what it sounded like he was saying.

"Sasuke, why would they do that?" she whispered, afraid of his response. She didn't even know what she wanted it to be, but she almost couldn't bear to hear it.

He looked at her then, dark eyes locking her in place and although he didn't say anything, the emotions in his gaze took her breath away. He cared for her. He cared for her.

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through disheveled hair.

"I'm not perfect, Hinata. I've done terrible things and even though I've tried to make it right, people are still going to hate me. And I know you loved the Dobe forever, but I love you. And to hell with what anyone else thinks of me because if you tell me you'll give me a chance then I'll be the best I can be for you."

Her face felt like it was on fire and she cursed her tendency to blush because Uchiha Sasuke had just confessed to her and instead of looking any semblance of attractive she was pretty sure her face was the color of a cooked lobster. She gaped for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"Sasuke, you - you - "

He smirked. "I'll take the blush as a good sign."

He leaned over then, pulling her towards him with their still entwined hands and kissed her. His lips were soft, but the kiss was fierce and passionate - just like him. She kissed back eagerly, her other hand finding its way to his shirt and her fingers twisting the fabric. When they separated she stared at him, eyes wide and rosy lips parted in wonder. And then her eyes rolled back in her head and had to catch her before she fell off the couch.

Sasuke pulled her into his lap, picking up his cup and taking another sip of the now lukewarm tea. He'd wait for her to wake up so he could get a verbal confirmation, though her reaction to the kiss all but assured him the answer would be positive. They could work on the fainting later.

* * *

To you folks who hate SasuHina, commenting that you don't like them together won't make the story go away, but feel free to scroll past it. If you read it even though it states that it's a pairing you hate, I really can't help you. To those of you who do like the pairing and those who requested that I do more stories with them specifically, let me know how I'm doing! If you like it, I'll try to keep it coming!


	3. Hesitancy

**Author's Note:** I have like 4 other stories for this month mostly done and was trying to wait to post when all of them were complete so they could be in order, but with what's happening (see profile or other stories) I wanted to get what I had posted here until I can take care of the rest.

You may or may not have seen, but I made a few edits to the last story based on some feedback I received. Some of the feedback I agreed with and some I did not. I only made changes that I think made sense.

I do hope you enjoy this one, I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

 **Day 23: Hesitancy**

 _Modern AU_

"Remind me again why I'm here?" Sasuke remarked drily as he glanced at the opulent display surrounding him and his best friend. It was obviously expensive, and obviously done so that people would know that. He hated it.

"Aw don't be like that, Sasuke. I RSVPed with a plus one and I felt bad letting what'll probably be a hundred dollar plate of food go to waste."

Onyx eyes glanced around at the crystal chandeliers and fine linens. "Clearly they could afford the setback."

"You're such a bastard sometimes," Naruto replied, eyes narrowed in frustration.

"That's no way to talk to your date," Sasuke deadpanned.

Before Naruto could get worked up and reply, Sasuke's phone rang.

"Oi, you're going to have to put that on silent before the ceremony starts," the blond chastised, worried now that he'd chosen Sasuke to accompany him. Originally he'd hoped Sakura might come as she had been somewhat acquainted with Hinata during high school and figured she'd enjoy what was certainly going to be a lavish event. Sakura had had a surgery scheduled, however, so Naruto had convinced Sasuke to come knowing he'd be familiar with the kind of etiquette needed at something like this.

"I will. This is probably the update I've been waiting for about the project at work. I need to take it."

"What? You can't just leave me with all these stuffy old dudes. And you sure as hell better not miss the ceremony."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, unconcerned. "Relax. The pre-ceremony cocktails are scheduled to go for at least a half hour. This call won't take that long. And something planned this extensively won't veer from the schedule. I'll be back before you know it. Just don't have too much champagne while I'm gone. I'm not carrying your ass out of here."

Again, before Naruto could come back with his angry retort - as if he'd get drunk and embarrass his old girlfriend at her own wedding - Sasuke was out the door. Naruto huffed, questioning his choice in friends and searching for someone carrying a tray of drinks. He might as well enjoy the perks that came with attending a wedding like this. He was sure all their alcohol would be high end.

Sasuke wandered the hallway of the venue, looking for an empty room he could talk in. It was Saturday night which better mean that Suigetsu had been working non-stop and had finished his part of the proposal. He would not go into his father's office on Monday morning without every detail in place.

Finally he found what looked like a small conference room right next to the emergency stairs at the end of the hallway. The reception wasn't ideal, but at least he was unlikely to be interrupted.

He leaned against the table and spoke with Suigetsu, glad his team member had come through for him - though he'd never tell him that. After the call, he opened his email to make sure everything Suigetsu had told him was in the report he'd sent.

While perusing the document, the door of the room suddenly opened and Sasuke looked up to see a woman about his age wearing a white dress that he was, quite frankly, sure should not have been able to fit through that door. The skirt was wide, way larger than the petite woman wearing it, and decked out in beads and crystals. It was clearly well-made, but way too garish for his tastes.

The woman he assumed was the bride looked out the small window on the door and slumped down onto the floor in relief after a moment. Her dark hair was curled and pinned halfway up and her eyes were closed. She was breathing heavily as if she'd just been running. The way she was hiding, she probably had been.

"Hinata, I presume?" he said, knowing the name of the bride from Naruto. Apparently his friend had dated the bride for a while in high school and they had parted on good terms and stayed in touch over the years. Only Naruto would be able to stay friends with an ex.

His deep voice cut through the silence in the room and she started, lavender eyes shot open and stared at him as if he was someone come to kill her.

"D-do I know you?" she whispered, hand snaking up the door towards the handle, getting ready to make another run for it.

"No," he shook his head, "I'm here with Naruto. He invited me when his plus one cancelled at the last minute."

"Oh, I s-see," she said, her voice still absurdly quiet. Is this how she spoke normally or was she afraid someone might hear her? Either way she seemed to relax at his mention of Naruto. Her arm fell back down beside her, but she kept her eyes locked on his every movement.

Sasuke put his hands up, trying to ease her further and show he had no ill intentions. He wouldn't normally care much, but she looked a bit like a frightened deer and he wasn't a monster.

Her breath was becoming more rapid and shallow and he was starting to worry she might begin to hyperventilate. He tried to think of something to do or say to distract her from her panic for a moment.

"So you and Naruto went to high school together? I picked an all boys school instead, but I've known Naruto since we were kids. He challenged me to a fight after I insulted him in first grade and we've been close ever since."

Her glossy lips twitched slightly and she let out a breathy chuckle. Something about that sound struck Sasuke as extremely beautiful.

"That, that does sound like something Naruto would do," she said fondly.

It was quiet for a moment and he was glad to see she no longer seemed in danger of hyperventilating. However there was soon a commotion in the hallway and Hinata's eyes widened again in fear.

"Quick," Sasuke said as he stood up. "Get behind the table."

He wasn't sure what he was doing exactly or why, but he moved the table a bit so that she could get behind it and told her to crouch down and stay out of sight.

"Be very quiet," he said, picking up his phone so it looked like he was on a call. Suddenly the door flew part of the way open, but he stopped it before it went to the wall, barring entrance with his body.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked the frantic woman who had opened the door, giving one of his meanest glares. She seemed taken aback for a moment and stepped back, which was just what he'd been hoping for.

"Oh! Sorry, I'm sorry, sir. I was just looking for someone. Have you seen a woman with long dark hair and pale lavender eyes come this way?"

"No. Now if you don't mind I was in the middle of an important call. You can imagine how important it must be to interrupt me at a wedding on a Saturday. So I'd appreciate it if you let me finish." His tone was scathing and the woman seemed a little frightened. The way she was dressed he figured she was one of the employees of the venue.

"Of course, sir, I'm sorry again, sir. I'll be leaving now." She closed the door and he watched her run back down the hallway, making sure to stare threateningly in case she looked back and thought about trying to interrupt him again. She didn't.

Once she was gone he shut the door of the room.

"You're safe for now," he said standing in front of the window so no one could look in. He should be able to hear anyone coming now that he was on high alert and his adrenaline was up, but an Uchiha was nothing if not thorough.

"Th-thank you," Hinata said, poking her head up over the table. She looked at him, her light eyes glistening with tears, and he felt like he was pinned in place.

"Does this mean you're not going through with the wedding?"

Emotions flickered across her eyes, and Sasuke realized he'd never been so intrigued by a woman before. Maybe it was the fact that her soul seemed to shine through her eyes. Maybe it was the fact she was in distress and he was clearly developing some kind of knight in shining armor syndrome. Or maybe it was as simple as she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Whatever it was, he knew he was going to help her.

"I don't know. I was sitting there while they got me ready and listening to them go on about how lucky I am to be marrying Toneri. They were talking about how he's so handsome and rich and talented. And I realized they all thought better of my fiance than I did."

She was standing now, poking her index fingers together and it seemed like such a childish habit, somewhat out of place with the poised - though obviously distressed - woman before him.

"I t-told them the fumes from the products were starting to get to me and that I needed to step into the hall for a breather. They let me go, still talking about how amazing Toneri is. I honestly went out to catch my breathe, but when I saw the stairwell I just took off running. I ran down four flights of stairs and found this room."

"Why didn't you find an exit," he asked, genuinely curious.

"I-I don't know. I don't think I thought I could actually escape. I w-was sure they would just find me and chalk it up to me being flighty and a failure as my father always says and that they'd take me back."

"Do you want to marry that Toneri guy?"

She hesitated. He could see that she knew what she wanted to say, but was afraid to utter it out loud.

"No," she whispered. "It was arranged from the start. I had no say in any of this, b-but I thought if I could do this for my family maybe I could finally be of use."

"That's absurd," Sasuke growled, pissed off that she felt that way about herself. He understood the feeling of trying to please an unpleasable father, but this was ridiculous. That a woman Naruto thought so highly of would think she was only good as a pawn for marriage was unacceptable.

Unfortunately, his tone didn't convey all that. It was harsh and Hinata flinched, tears once again coming to her eyes.

"Sorry, that's - well it is what I meant but I don't think it came out right." Sasuke sighed in frustration. He never tried to explain himself. But she was clearly distraught and again, he wasn't a complete monster.

He wasn't good at this kind of thing. Glaring down people, he could do. Helping this person with a huge life decision was not his forte. He decided he'd just have to go about it with her like he would for himself. It was all he could think of.

"Look, what do _you_ want to do?" he asked.

Her head shot up again, and she looked at him like she'd never heard those words before. Then again, when he thought about what was happening right now, maybe she hadn't.

Fuck. This would be harder than he thought.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked, thinking at least her answer to that would be fairly obvious.

"I c-can't," she whispered, putting her head back down.

"Why the hell not?"

"I'm a Hyuga. Everything I have is theirs. I have nowhere to go and no one to go to that they wouldn't be able to track down in a couple of hours tops. They have files on everyone I know, even acquaintances."

"You don't know me," he said, terrified at the fact his mouth was apparently speaking on its own. Was he offering to take her away and hide her? She was Hyuga! He'd get charged with kidnapping at best, taken out by private security without a trial at worst.

Her expression brought him out of his internal panic. She blinked owlishly, apparently having just realized that she didn't know who he was at all aside from the fact that he had come with Naruto.

"Sasuke," he said, before she could ask. He wasn't sure where exactly they were on the friendship spectrum, but he was sure it was past formal introductions.

Hinata nodded, testing the name on her tongue. He tried to ignore the pleasure he got from her sweet voice saying his name and pulled out his phone once more, dialing Naruto.

" _Bastard! You said you wouldn't leave me! They're about to start seating people for the ceremony. Where the hell are you?!"_

Naruto's voice sounded through the phone loud enough for Hinata to hear six feet away. She giggled and Sasuke watched her eyes light up with the act. Gods, something was wrong with him.

"I need your help," Sasuke said focusing on the task at hand. It stopped Naruto cold. Sasuke _never_ asked for help.

"Hold on a sec," Naruto said, sounding more serious. Sasuke could hear the chatter in the background getting a little quieter until it stopped.

"Alright, what the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Can you bring the car around the back of the building? To the fire exit next to the back left stairwell?"

He could hear Naruto sigh over the phone. "Be there in five," he said before hanging up.

It was a testament to their closeness that Naruto didn't even bother asking why. He knew he'd find out in a minute and whether or not it was legal he would help Sasuke anyway. They were brothers. All in together.

He questioned his sanity, however, when he texted Sasuke that he was there and the dark haired man suddenly appeared at the doorway tugging a woman dressed in what was most certainly a bridal gown behind him.

"What the fuck, Sasuke?!" Naruto hissed as Sasuke jumped in the passenger seat after getting Hinata in the back.

"Nice to see you again, Hinata!" he said looking in the rearview mirror, suddenly all smiles and cheer. "You look beautiful as always."

Hinata blushed and Sasuke again tried to ignore the pang of jealousy he felt. Seriously he must have had something weird to eat today because none of this was normal.

"It's n-nice to see you, too Naruto. I'm glad you could make it!"

Surreal. That was the only word Sasuke had for what was happening right now. Except it was very real. Naruto shortly reminded him of that fact when he punched him in the arm.

"When I invited you here it wasn't to kidnap the fucking bride! What are you thinking?!"

Sasuke refused to answer, mostly because he himself didn't know what he was thinking. Naruto scoffed and started driving away from the exit, slowly so as not to seem like they were trying to flee.

"You should probably get down so no one can see you," Sasuke said, digging for the blanket he knew Naruto always kept in the back seat. It wouldn't be big enough to cover her completely, but it would help a little at least until they got to the highway. He was thankful they'd concentrated all their security inside the venue, and that they hadn't had to check in when they'd pulled into the parking lot.

"Go to Highway Seven," Sasuke said, draping the blanket over Hinata. She held it up a little over her head so she could see what was going on, but stayed down.

"You're not even going to tell me how this happened? You realize we're basically kidnapping someone, right?" Naruto said, clearly annoyed at how the day had turned out.

"P-please don't be mad at Sasuke," Hinata said in what Sasuke had now determined was her naturally gentle voice. It worked wonders on Naruto whose shoulders and face relaxed.

"She didn't want to marry him," Sasuke said simply, feeling it wasn't his place to go into details.

Naruto's eyes softened as he looked back at the petite girl surrounded by an ocean of extravagant fabric.

"Your father?" he asked, and Sasuke found himself jealous once again at the closeness between the two. He'd never asked what had happened between the two, though Naruto had seemed quite happy while with her. At the time he'd been focusing on doing well enough in school to get into the top college Itachi had gone to, to show his father he could do that well too. Now he was wishing he'd paid closer attention.

Hinata simply nodded in response and Naruto pursed his lips.

"Alright," the blond said, taking a left. "You said Highway Seven?"

"That's right," Sasuke confirmed.

They rode in silence for a while until Naruto turned onto the highway. "You going to call Itachi then?" he asked his friend.

"Yeah." His brother would let them hide out in his remote home for at least a week until he could get something figured out.

"You realize she's going to have to face them eventually," Naruto said quietly. Sasuke glanced back and saw that Hinata had fallen asleep, the stress and the motion of the car having finally gotten to her.

"I know."

Naruto sighed.

"Why can't things be easy with you? Women literally throw themselves at you. You could go to a bar and bring home a beautiful, intelligent woman in minutes. But instead you have to seduce someone's fiancee at their wedding."

"It's not - "

"I know, I know. I'm giving you a hard time. I'm allowed to do that since you've made me an accessory to kidnapping. Hinata would never do something so low, anyway. But you need to figure out what you're doing because whatever this is it will probably get messy and she's too good for your shit."

Sasuke leaned back. Obviously his attraction to Hinata hadn't gone unnoticed. But that hadn't been the reason he did all this. Probably. He put his hand on his face, suddenly very tired. He knew things were going to be hectic for a while, and that eventually they'd need to face what they had just done. But as he watched Hinata sleep peacefully, her lips parted slightly and her cheeks rosy, he knew he'd done something right. He'd just have to keep doing that while all this played out.

* * *

There you have it! I have one other story I'll be posting for the month and then when I manage to finish the others I'll get those posted as well. But again, with what's going on, I'm not sure when that will be. Please let me know your thoughts.


	4. Pregnancy

**Author's Note:** Alright, this is the other finished one I have ready.

* * *

 **Day 28: Pregnancy**

 _Canonverse but slight AU (due to the fact it's SasuHina)_

Despite appearances, Hyuga Hiashi was not a hard man. He did love his daughters. However, the world was hard and as their only living parent it was his duty to prepare them for it.

Perhaps he could have afforded some softness had they simply been shinobi. Perhaps he could have afforded some softness had they simply been a noble clan. But alas, they were both and the combination brought a long list of expectations and harsh realities.

Hanabi had thrived under his strict parenting. Hinata… not so much. He'd raised them as he himself had been raised. Reprimands were harsh. Physical conditioning was extensive. He drilled into them the manners, the techniques, the expectations of being Hyuga. And as Hanabi blossomed, Hinata wilted.

It didn't help that Neji, his brother's son, was even more talented than his youngest daughter. Every report, every observed training reminded him that the traditions of the Hyuga clan although unfair, were absolute. His nephew, the branch member, was a prodigy. Meanwhile his eldest, the heir, could hardly make eye contact.

With the elders breathing down his neck and his frustration growing at every failed training session, he'd been glad to hand her over to Kurenai. Perhaps _she_ could figure out how to help Hinata.

Sure, he may have seemed harsh, but he didn't know any other way to be. He couldn't just be their parent. He had to be their Clan Head, the unwavering pillar of Hyuga ideals and strength. He was Hyuga first, shinobi second, and father third.

But his eyes, the all-seeing Hyuga eyes, watched her as she grew. He watched her train. He watched her get stronger. He watched her admiration for the Uzumaki. He watched as that admiration grew into love. He rejoiced when her love inspired strength. He felt both pride and fear at the knowledge that she had been the one to step in and help Naruto when no one else in the village would face down Pein.

He mourned with her when Neji died.

And he observed from afar as her affection for Naruto went unreciprocated.

She was strong. She was Hyuga. She smiled, though heartbroken. And his own heart broke a little when he heard her whisper a question at her mother's grave: "Am I not worthy of affection?"

He couldn't give it to her. Naruto couldn't give it to her. And Neji was no longer around to give it to her.

So when he noticed the Uchiha's lingering stare at the memorial shrine, he'd taken note of it.

And when Hinata had returned from a mission with the Uchiha and agreed to train with him once a week, he'd paid closer attention.

When their training sessions grew more frequent and were sometimes followed by meals, he'd quieted the elder's superstitions concerning the last of the Uchiha.

When flowers began appearing on Hinata's window sill, he'd ignored protocol and allowed Sasuke to continue to slip into the compound to leave his gifts.

When Hinata began to smile more, so had he - in private.

And when Uchiha Sasuke had come to inform him that Hinata had accepted his marriage proposal, he hadn't scolded them as Hinata had so clearly anticipated for not consulting him first. He had merely congratulated them and offered the clan grounds for what would certainly be a large celebration.

When Hiashi had given Hinata away, he had done so with no reservations. Although a stoic man, it was clear that the Uchiha cared deeply for his daughter. And it was also clear that Hinata felt cared for.

And now, as he watched Hanabi touch Hinata's swollen stomach in awe, as he observed the way Sasuke hovered nearby as if protecting the most precious treasure in the world, he was thankful things had turned out alright.

He'd raised her the only way he knew how. But he knew she would do better. And maybe, just maybe, for his beautiful grandchild, he didn't have to be Clan Head or Master. Maybe he could just be grandfather.


End file.
